There’s a positive development today in a joint press release from the Whitewater Unified School District and the City of Whitewater over a possible new agreement for a school resource officer. The release from the Whitewater Unified School District’s board president, on behalf of the district and the city, appears below:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, DIRECTLY FROM SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT: May 6, 2025
Whitewater, WI – Joint Statement from the Whitewater Unified School District Board President Stephanie Hicks and Whitewater Common Council President Patrick Singer
We acknowledge and appreciate the concerns expressed by parents, students, educators, and community members regarding the School Resource Officer (SRO) contract. Our students’ safety, well-being, and success are a shared responsibility, and we remain committed to working together to ensure our schools are secure, safe, and supportive.
This is to notify you that diplomatic conversations on the Student Resource Officer agreement are ongoing between leadership governance groups, the Common Council, and the School Board.
We aim to rebuild trust, support our educators and law enforcement professionals, and ensure every student feels secure and safe in our schools. By working together in good faith, we aim to strengthen relationships across our institutions and ensure a thoughtful and responsive outcome.
We also want to appreciate the hard work contributed by the staff of both institutions in this complex situation, and their service to the Common Council and the School Board.
This is the sensible course, either through a brief contract extension first or via an amended agreement before the expiration of the current agreement. See Discussion of Whitewater’s School Resource Officer Merits a 120-Day Contract Extension (from 4.30.25) and More on a Whitewater School Resource Officer (from 5.1.25).
Negotiations in good faith toward a mutual agreement will serve the community well.